georgie bamber tournament of champions (U7 - Timbits)

Georgie Bamber was born on October 12, 1997 in perfect health. But in January of 2002, at the age of four, his intestines twisted. While sometimes a routine fix, in Georgie’s case, the twist cut off blood flow and his intestines were severely damaged. The vast majority of his small intestine and over one third of his large intestine needed to be removed in a number of operations. This meant that Georgie had to have a central catheter installed so that he could be fed via liquid nutrition. The operations resulted in several close calls but somehow Georgie’s spirit managed to always pull him through.

In June of 2002, after 6 months in the hospital, Georgie was finally able to go back home. The doctors felt that he would always require liquid nutrition and that it seriously would restrict his lifestyle.

But not Georgie. He regained his health very quickly and not only started school at Jerry Potts Elementary but excelled at swimming, skiing, soccer and perhaps most miraculously – hockey. Through all his ordeals, he always remained positive, never complained and even his teammates had no idea he had to be hooked up to intravenous feeds every night or that he was constantly being subjected to numerous medical procedures.

Georgie loved hockey. He rarely missed an opportunity to play, was a favorite of his teammates and always competed with a smile on his face. He will always be an inspiration to those of us who had the pleasure to either play with him or coach such a positive young man.

Georgie went into the hospital in February of 2005 and passed away in July of 2005. His retired Crowchild jersey hangs in tribute upstairs at the Crowchild Twin Arena. This tournament is very dear to his family’s heart and they enjoy it every year.